Professional water bath

ABSTRACT

The invention of the Professional Water Bath is engineered towards the safe use of the culinary technique known as ‘water bathing’ and is directed specifically towards pastry chefs, commercial and private alike, that regularly employ this technique. The concept of the Professional Water Bath is that it limits the risk of transporting oven-hot containers with boiling water and fragile culinary products after baking time is completed. The risk involved with current equipment is that the pans (being horizontal in design and rather shallow) are not stable when filled with water. The improvements with the Professional Water Bath are a liquid release valve that allows water to be drained from the reservoir before removal from the oven and thicker gauge metal to provide stability when transporting culinary products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The applicable field to the Professional Water Bath is in culinary arts, more specifically, commercial kitchen equipment manufacturing; otherwise, a division of metal fabrication. The central reason for the ideological development of this product is to alleviate major safety concerns in the employment of a culinary technique known as ‘water bathing’.

[0002] A ‘water bath’ occurs when an uncooked product within a made-for-cooking container is set in a larger container (also for food production) that holds a certain amount of water and is put into a hot oven for baking. The resulting humidity and cooling effects provided by the water can be desirable in preventing product loss/ruin, as well as augmenting the final quality of the product. This technique makes possible the extended lower-temperature cooking time that is necessary for the full and safe cooking of these thermo-sensitive products. ‘Water bathing’ is applied in the traditional production of certain culinary products such as cheesecakes and custard based products like crème brulee and bread pudding.

[0003] Major problems with using this method are the instability of the pans with water in them that then may cause personal injury and loss of product. The person engaging in removing a ‘water bath’ from a hot oven is removing a highly unstable pan filled with boiling water (the temperature is always above the boiling point) that could cause serious scalds/injuries. He/she is also taking the risk of the loss of product. Loss of product may occur due to the fact that water bathing is always associated with an egg product. The use of water to partially surround the container with an egg mixture keeps the mixture at a lower temperature than the surrounding oven. Any contact between a coagulated egg product and water will assuredly result in product damage, if not ruin/loss. Thus, with the final product being surrounded by water on all sides, there is always considerable risk in the removal of the water bath from the oven.

[0004] (Metal products traditionally used in making a water bath are traditionally called ‘bains maries’. Other items used for the same purpose are commonly referred to as ‘hotel pans’, ‘steam table pans’ or ‘chaffing dishes’. All are of similar size and function.)

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The claimed invention, the Professional Water Bath, is designed in a similar shape to pre-existing products used for the purpose of ‘water bathing’. However, these pre-existing products are not made specifically for this purpose and so lack obvious developments in personal safety of the user for such culinary techniques. The Professional Water Bath has several refinements that suit this invention to markedly improved personal safety during the employment of the ‘water bathing’ technique.

[0006] The Professional Water Bath allows for:

[0007] The safer transport of finished culinary products that employ the use of a ‘water bath’ by providing a way to rid the ‘bath’ of boiling water prior to transport from the oven

[0008] Improved ease of transport by having a substantially weighted pan that gives stability to the unit during the lifting and setting-down of the ‘bath’

EXPLANATION OF INCLUDED DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1A—represents the top view of the invention and shows clearly the positioning of the liquid release valve situated on one of the short side of the ‘bath’.

[0010]FIG. 1B—shows a side view and illustrates the idea of a heavy gauge pan (with possible thick, or ‘faux’ bottom; the release valve on the side

[0011]FIG. 1C—shows a head-on view of the side where the liquid release valve is located and its approximate positioning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Manufacture—The Professional Water Bath is formed by the ‘drawing’ of stainless steel (of a certain gauge) around a mold of specified size. The solid, thick gauge stainless steel used for the Professional Water Bath creates a sturdy, commercial grade pan that resists damage and makes for long life. A hole is then made in one of the short ends of the ‘bath’ to allow for the insertion of the liquid release valve on that particular end. The water release valve would be a permanent (sautered or welded) piece of the unit with insulation from water provided by a silicone (or other such heat resistant materials) grommet or other such seals as deemed necessary by the manufacturer.

[0013] Pre-existing products—There are several products already in existence that are used to exercise the culinary technique of ‘water bathing’, but none of the products commonly used are made specifically for the purpose of employing a ‘water bath’. The result is that the technique is employed in such a way as to pose a risk to the individual engaging in the technique.

[0014] The Professional Water Bath eliminates much of the personal and professional risk of using a ‘water bath’ by way of two major improvements:

[0015] Improvements—The first improvement is the thicker gauge metal used to make the pan; which makes the Professional Water Bath heavier and thus more balanced when transporting what are always fragile culinary products.

[0016] The second major improvement to the pans commonly used for the ‘water bathing’ technique is the water release valve that is located at one of the short ends of the pan. The release valve allows for the quantities of water in the Professional Water Bath remaining after baking to be drained from the ‘bath’ before transporting from the oven. The effects of this refinement are that the individual using the ‘bath’ no longer has to be concerned with possible personal injury or the loss of product associated with contact between the water and finished culinary product. 

1. What I claim of this invention is the Professional Water Bath as the first product specifically designed for the safe employment of a culinary technique known as ‘water bathing’. Providing a release valve for liquid within the metal container indicates that this invention is designed solely for such usage and is made expressly for the safe use of this common culinary technique. 